Two years of ‘abnormal monsoon’ puts North Karnataka farmers in crisis: Report
Hubballi: Two consecutive years of excessive monsoon rainfall have pushed farmers across North Interior Karnataka (NIK) into severe distress, with the region recording significantly more rainy days than South Interior Karnataka (SIK) and other parts of the state.
Karnataka recorded 149 rainy days in 2025, making it the state’s third-wettest year in the last five years. While NIK logged 102 rainfall days in 2025 and 108 in 2024, South Interior SIK reported 89 and 97 rain days during the same period. The coastal and Malnad regions, meanwhile, experienced their usual average of around 160 rainy days, as reported by Deccan Herald on Sunday.
The prolonged wet spell has severely affected dry-agriculture crops of north Karnataka region, especially tur, green gram, and maize.
Data from the agriculture department, cited by DH, shows that nearly 13.65 lakh hectares of farmland were impacted this monsoon, with 70% of the damage concentrated in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Vijaypur, Gadag, Bagalkot, Bidar and Dharwad districts.
Farmers are grappling not only with waterlogged fields but also crop infections triggered by continuous rain. Tur, a staple crop across the seven NIK districts, has been struck by phytophthora stem blight, macrophomina blight and dry root rot diseases.
Mallikarjun Kenganal, senior plant pathology scientist, said excessive rainfall has also led to nutrient leaching, forcing farmers to spend more on cultivating crops. “The long duration of rains has also adversely impacted crop growth. Tur, which had to flower by now and get harvested by December, is still in vegetative stage,” DH quoted him as saying. He added the state could witness at least 50% lower yield of tur this year.
The excess rainfall will not only raise cultivation costs for farmers but also contribute to higher food inflation.
Climate variability and shifting wind patterns are among the factors behind the increasing number of rainy days in north Karnataka. “Monsoon arrived in Karnataka much before its usual first week of June. Rains have continued till October. In a normal rainfall year, the state used to record 65-70 days of rainfall. However, this year, it has been higher in all four regions,” DH quoted N. Puviarasan, head, Bengaluru Meteorological Centre, as saying.
Karnataka cultivates kharif crops on 81.22 lakh hectares, of which more than 13.65 lakh hectares have suffered damage this year. Tur fields, spread across 5.36 lakh hectares, are the worst affected, followed by cotton (2.68 lakh ha), green gram (2.63 lakh ha), maize (1.21 lakh ha) and soybean (97,810 ha).
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Elderly woman killed, robbed on outskirts of Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): A 69-year-old woman was allegedly murdered and robbed of her gold ornaments at her residence on the city’s outskirts while her paralysed husband was present, police said Thursday.
The incident occurred on Pete Street in Nelamangala, where Shobha lived with her husband, who is paralysed and bedridden, police said.
For the past decade, she had been the sole caregiver for her husband. The couple had no children and lived a secluded life, according to police.
A video from the scene showed the woman lying in a pool of blood, with her husband beside her on the same bed, they said.
The accused, Shivakumar, a wholesale shop owner who has been arrested in the case, allegedly targeted her to clear a debt of Rs 8 lakh, police said.
The crime came to light on Wednesday evening when her husband’s physiotherapist arrived for a scheduled session. Upon finding Shobha’s lifeless body in a pool of blood, the doctor immediately alerted the local authorities, police officials said.
According to police, at approximately 4 pm on the day of the incident, the accused, Shivakumar, a resident of the same locality, noticed Shobha wearing gold jewellery. He allegedly followed her to her residence with a premeditated plan.
Shivakumar entered the house under the guise of being thirsty, asking Shobha for a glass of water. Once inside, and believing she was alone, he attacked her. When Shobha attempted to resist, the accused allegedly slit her throat, a senior police officer said.
After the murder, Shivakumar fled the scene with more than 100 grams of gold jewellery worn by the victim, police said.
By analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area, police identified Shivakumar and tracked him down, they added.
